


The Benefit of the Doubt

by MrsJaceWayland_Herondale



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mortal Instruments Series, F/M, Gen, M/M, Malec, Multi, Other, Sizzy - Freeform, Spoilers for COHF, Written pre-CoHF, clace, spoilers from all books, the mortal instruments - Freeform, tmi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-23
Updated: 2016-01-23
Packaged: 2018-05-15 17:17:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5793211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsJaceWayland_Herondale/pseuds/MrsJaceWayland_Herondale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Maryse becomes irritated with Clary's training, or lack thereof, she makes the decision to bring a new trainer to the Institute. The new Shadowhunter seems to bring a sense of unease to Clary, but she cannot find a cause. Who is this new trainer, and what is she hiding from the Shadowhunters of the New York Institute? Pre-CoHF release.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1/2

Chapter 1

_********* _

"Focus Clary!" Jace shouts. Seriously delayed, I flex my body and pull myself to the side in an attempt to dodge him, but not quickly enough. He grabs me by the waist and tackles me down to the padded mat in the training room.

"Ahh," I breathe out in slight pain, the wind knocked out of me. I really do try to keep my eyes away, but being pinned under Jace's sweaty muscled body just does things to my mind. This is my boyfriend. _Sexy, and smart._

"I know, I know," Jace brags, as if reading my mind, "My sweaty rock hard abs are enough to make anybody swoon- men  _and_  women, alike."  _Did I forget to mention cocky?_  

I roll my eyes but smile, and in his moment of distraction, I deftly flip us so that  _I_ am pinning him down, straddling his hips. My hands hold his shoulders down.

"Gotcha," I whisper with a smirk,- something learned from Jace- and lean down, millimeters from his face, and brush his lips with mine before abruptly pulling back and pushing his shoulders down hard for emphasis. "I  _do_  pay more attention than you may think," I snicker as I move to get up and continue the training session.

" _I_ , for one think that we've had enough training for today," Jace snakes his arms around my waist and pulls me back down, hovering above me.

"But Jace-" I argue, but my lovely hard-headed boyfriend is having none of that and smoothly cuts me off with a slow kiss on the lips. I pull back in surprise and look down at him questioningly.

His eyes are clouded with love and longing, and he gently pulls my face up to his, connecting our lips in a sweet embrace. They fit together, like a specially crafted puzzle, and it feels so  _right_. His lips are absolutely perfect. Firm when it's passionate, and soft when it's loving.

He slowly runs his hands up my sides, trailing his lips from my mouth and up along my sensitive jaw line, stopping only to nip at my neck, making me shiver. It's a great thing that he's finally gotten the Heavenly Fire running through his veins under control. Now he's not afraid to touch me, and just being able to hold his hands is enough for me.

Jace pulls back and stares intently into my eyes, searching for something. I return his gaze with a smile and runs my hands up his chest and through his wavy golden locks. "What are you thinking about?" I give him my most demure smile and lean up to peck him lingeringly on the cheek.

"Mmm," Jace sighs with a mischievous grin, "Well I was thinking..." He pauses dramatically, annoying me. He was thinking about something and now he's trying to stall; he really needs to work on his response time.

"C'mon Jace, just tell me," I pout my lips at him before looking down, avoiding eye contact. It always bugs him when I avoid his eyes because he thinks I'm genuinely upset. Not this time! It only seems to flip on the sarcasm switch in his mind.

"Nope!" he laughs at my frown and uses his thumb to smooth the small wrinkle that forms on my forehead. "Don't pout, my dear, it's not the end of the world."

"Jace," I whine. Since trying to guilt-trip him isn't working, I'll just have to bug it out of him. At this point, Jace rolls over and scoops me up into his lap, trying to please me. 

"I love you, Clarissa Adele Fray," Jace says with all the tenderness in the world.

"Jace," I whisper, now holding Jace's face in my hands, "I lo-"                           

"I know," Jace murmurs and leans forward to kiss me once more.

As our lips reconnect, a spark surges through us both- I know I can't be the only one- and the kiss becomes fast and heavy. A low growl bubbles up from Jace's throat and he moves us so he is pinning me down. My hands roam over his body, memorizing every little ripple of muscle on his chest and abdomen. All things rational fly from my head the second he moved his lips along my jaw and down to my lower neck, barely brushing my collar-bone.

An annoyed "ahem" sounds from the training room entrance. Maryse stands there looking highly annoyed by us.She's probably always thinking that we're stupid and reckless, wasting our time.

Being new to the world of Shadowhunting, I know I need to spend extra time training to catch up with the Lightwoods. As skilled as I've become in such short time, I still have  _so_  much to learn. How to use a Sensor, how to wield a kindjal, or throw an angel blade. Working a stele and a seraph blade to hack away the bad guys is only the beginning.

"Gear up and meet Alec and Isabelle in the church," said Maryse in a short, impatient voice. She's really not in a good mood

Jace quickly untwined himself from my grasp and gracefully rises to his feet, his hand pulling me up with him.

"What's going on?" Jace asks with a spark in his eyes, and an eager bounce in his step. Maryse leaves the training room, heels clicking down the hall. When the clicking stops suddenly, we hurry to follow.

"Demonic activity in Brooklyn," Maryse says when we come out after her. "Hurry up. Alec will fill you in on the rest." And with that, she starts to enter the massive library, but turns in the doorway as if remembering something.

"Jace. I'd like to speak with you after you return, about an important matter," Maryse announces with an obvious look at me. She turns and dismisses us with a simple wave. Damn, she's angry.

  _Just freaking great._  It's going to be a 'talk' about my training, or lack thereof.  _Hopefully she won't send me back to live with my mom and Luke. The Institute is my home._

**_*****_ **

 After having time to cool down, I still can't remove the thought of Jace from my mind's eye. His lips, and the way he kissed me without any care in the world. His golden halo of hair, and how I loved to twine my fingers into it. Especially the golden pools of light in his eyes that danced with fire every time we kissed. That's one of the best things.

Finally geared up and ready to go, I head towards the elevator with a sigh. I just want to stay inside with Jace, kissing and cuddling. A good fight will have to work for now, as far as adrenaline goes, at least.

I walk into the cathedral with a happy little grin still on my face; of course Isabelle picks that one little thing to focus on...

"Oo, someone's all red and smiley," she teased. "Gettin' all hot and bothered upstairs, eh?"

I blush and stop for a second. Everyone is standing here, waiting on me. Jace included. He just smiles, on the verge of laughter, knowing that he is the cause of my goofy grin. That smile gives me the confidence to keep my chin up and march directly towards him without a glance at the others.

"Attitude! It looks good on you," Isabelle praised with a proud look on her face. "I taught you well, young padawan!" Okay, she is spending way too much time with Simon...

"You taught her? Puh-lease!" Jace exclaimed with a smirk. "It was all me."

Jace promptly turned and sauntered to the chapel doors with enough confidence for everybody in the Institute; He would never let any anyone else have the last word. Eye brows raised, Alec just shook his head and proceeded to follow Jace, mumbling about how he didn't need weapons to fight demons, just Jace's ego.

"C'mon little love bird. Better get a move on." Izzy sighed and we followed the boys outside into the foggy New York night.

_********* _

The air outside is pretty cold, but the wind chill coming off of the canal makes it unbearable. As always, the sky is tainted with smog and light from the streets, making the stars hard to see. It's nights like these that I wish I could lay on the lake shore at Luke's farm with my sketchpad, tracing the stars and moon peeking through the fog.

We walk close together towards the warehouse we're supposed to be going to. The building is tall and dark, the moonlight casting creepy shadows all around us. The fog surrounding the area looks thicker than the sludge in the canal; it's hard to see your hand extended a foot ahead of you.

We know that the demons are around here somewhere, lurking and waiting for prey. Mundane teenagers hanging around, smoking or whatever normal teenagers do. Despite being well prepared and trained, a violent shiver runs down my back while watching the shadows move with the clouds.

"What is this place?" I whisper. It seems as if I talk too loud, or move too fast, the demons will pop out at us. It's just overall cold, dark, and creepy, keeping us all on edge.

"An old grain terminal. It was built around 1918 to store grain that was shipped from the Erie Canal. But now it's been abandoned for over 50 years," Alec explained in a hushed tone. He left it at that, never one to chat much. Or maybe it was because of the tension in the air that kept us all alert.

Jace, however, could never shut up. Talking was just one of many tactics he used to gain the spotlight. "Great place for drug deals!" Jace said cheerily, and threw an arm around Clary and pulled her closer.

"Creepy, secluded, dark. It's perfect!" he snickers. I'm pretty sure his experience with a faerie plum turned him off from all drugs, even the mundane ones.

He's looking straight ahead, seemingly oblivious, but to anybody who knows him, it's his way of observing. Instead of looking around and making things obvious to anybody watching, he would dart his eyes around inconspicuously, trying not to draw attention to himself (shocker, I know). He's always alert and watching, keeping his eyes open for any surprise thrown his way.

I nuzzle closer to Jace's side for warmth and comfort. He makes me feel so safe in the chaos that is my new life. The life of a shadow hunter, a warrior. A life of excitement. A life fighting alongside the Lightwood siblings. A life with Jace. This is my life. It's pretty freakin' great.

An ear-splitting crack brings me back to focus in an instant, however.

Damn it. Gotta stay focused.

Focus is the key to staying in control, as Jace showed me during training earlier. Daydreaming leads to defeat, which usually leads to death. The crack sounds again, and a sense of deja-vu washes over me.

The day I was brought into the shadow world, where the demon in Pandemonium was killed by my best friends. The day my mom had been kidnapped, and I was almost killed. That day turned everything upside down and it was horrible, but it also introduced me to the world of shadow hunting; the world I belong in.

As we approach the building, seraph blades, bows, and whips are drawn with the intention to kill. Alec whispers fierce instructions that we already all know: Kill, and watch eachothers back.

The crumbling old building is shadowed and it's hard to see in the dim moonlight, which explains why a Ravener demon seems to just appear directly in front of me. Its large barbed tail whips towards my legs, but I jump over it deftly and step away to name the seraph blade

"Camael," I yell, plunging the blade down into the creature's horrid, domed skull. Just like that, it disappeared from this world, back to wherever the hell it came from. Good riddance, ugly.

Jace glances over at me with an ear to ear grin. "Nice one, babe," Jace laughs and gives me a sloppy kiss on the cheek. "Ready to kick some ass?"

"Oh, you know it," I shoot back with a devious grin. "Try to keep up, Lightwood." My mocking tone only made his beautiful smile widen even more.

Jace and Alec lead the way into the rotting building, with Isabelle and I flanking them, weapons in hand. As usual, Isabelle was dressed to kill; literally.

Her leather pants hugged her every curve, making it seem impossible to move the way she does. The gear belt that we all wear was garnished with multiple daggers and seraph blades, but Izzy preferred her specially crafted adamas whip that curled around her wrist. Isabelle is always dressed to the nines, and I'm just in a thick sweater and the warmest pair of leggings I own; nothing special.

Her equally handsome older brother, Alec, is the oldest of them all, and he always led the hunts with his parabatai, my awesome boyfriend,by his side. With his bow in hand, Alec let arrows fly, never missing his target. The demons seemed to be coming from deep within the building, so we just brave ourselves and go for it.

As a Ravener demon skitters towards me, I smile and eliminate the threat with great ease. The familiar surge of adrenaline flows through my body from head to toe, heightening all of my senses.The adrenaline, along with my runes, make it easier to see the creatures hiding in the shadows. Every little noise, every shift in movement did not go unnoticed.

Even the putrid smell from each demon is easy to differentiate. I flit around, slaying demon after demon, losing myself to killer instincts. Nothing else can break this trance, but I suppose that's a good thing. I can keep going for as long as I need, however long it takes to get rid of all these demons.

From a little ways away I can hear the low hiss of a Scorpio. I make my way towards the sound, turning corners and slashing all the monster down. The next turn lands me in a bare room, the Scorpios demon right on the threshold, way closer than I expected it to be. Jumping back, I prepare to feign an attack, but the intelligent demon senses it and attacks right away. I have to dodge to the side, but the monkey-like hands of the Scorpios demon catches my ankle and drags me back.

Struggling, I thrust a dagger into the monster, but that only makes it rear back with an aggravated hiss. I roll away to avoid being crushed, but when I go to get up, the poisonous barbed tail of the demon is making it's way right to me. The scorpion-like stinger sails down towards the center of my chest.

That amount of poison so close to the heart is fatal, not to mention excruciatingly painful and slow. I pull my arms up in one last feeble attempt of self-preservation and squeeze my eyes shut, thinking back on all the great things that have happened this past year. Jace came into my life, along with the Lightwoods, and the shadow world. It's all so beautiful and exciting.

The pain blossoms through my chest, a scream coming out with it, but thankfully, the darkness is there to cushion the fall and I sink into oblivion...

_********* _

_SO! This was my first ever FF over on FF.net, my user name is the nearly the same, but formatted: Mrs. Jace Wayland-Herondale_

_I have the full story there, but it's unedited and this IS edited. I'm waiting to replace the whole thing over on FF when I have the entire story edited. Anyways, yeah. No matter how cringe-worthy you may think this is, it's way worse over there._

_I'm new to AO3 so if anybody has any navigational tips, please do comment them. I only created an account so that I could participate in a writing 'big bang' with a 5 Seconds of Summer theme, so I decided fuck it why not add my other stories, too?_

_Leave me a comment letting me know what you think! xo_


	2. Chapter 3/4

_Who will make me fight?_  
Drag me out alive?  
Save me from myself  
Don't let me drown  
  
"Drown" by Bring Me the Horizon

**\---**

 

Jace’s POV                     

 

Minutes after entering the building, I had already killed twice as many demons as my  _parabatai_. They kept coming, and I kept hacking.  _That's how this is supposed to work_ , I think to myself with a smirk. I kill a bunch of demons, the younger kids hear about me, and I become a little legend among them. Even I like to think that I'm invincible sometimes.

I look around to see how Clary's doing since she's only been on a few hunts like this. When I can't spot her my smile drops right off of my face. She's not where she was a few minutes ago. I spin around and scan the room, not seeing Clary's mane of red curls.

I fight my way into the next room over, not seeing her still. My heart thumps painfully in my chest as I check room after room, only disappointed to find it empty every time. Running down the main corridor, I slow down and quickly draw a rune for clarity. The effect is instantaneous: I can now think and breathe much more clearly, the intensity of my worry melting down. I take a few deep breaths and close my eyes, listening to everything around me.

I run towards the hissing of the Scorpios that is coming from further down the hall. I skid to a stop at the threshold of the dark room just in time to see the stinger of the demon rearing back to strike. My hand goes instinctively to a dagger on my belt before letting it fly.

As if in slow motion, the stinger comes down towards Clary's chest at the same moment that a dagger slides into the demon's back.

The demon disappears in a flash, and I can't tell if the dagger hit the demon in time or if it...

"Clary!" I scream and run to her small crumpled body. Scooping her into my arms, I find that she is barely breathing. I scan and pat the rest of her body for wounds, looking for anything to indicate a sting. The small hole in the front of her gear was answer enough.

"Alec! Isabelle!" I yell as loud as humanely possible. We need help, we need to get her out of here. All of the worst scenarios play through my head. The poison paralyzing her. Clary leaving him if she survives, because I wasn't there to protect her. Clary dying ... _No. No, I can't think that way. She's going to be fine. She's strong._

"Clary," I whisper in a heavy voice, "Please. Please wake up." A sob comes out as I cradle her closer to me chest. "I love you Clary."

I keep whispering to her as I feel her pulse slow and weaken, until her heart beats one final time.

***

**_Clary's POV_ **

  _"Clary!"_

  _Someone is calling my name, but the sound is slow and distorted, as if I'm underwater, or in a tunnel, and the sound is echoing off of the walls. A terrible pain consumes my body, a burning sensation that only gets worse with every passing moment. It feels like my skin is being consumed with Angel Fire. I scream from the fire coursing through my veins, begging someone to hear me and make it stop._

  _"It'll be okay," I try rationalize through the pain. The person with the funny voice will save me. Through the haze, I hear someone calling out to others...Alec. And Isabelle. The names are so familiar, yet I can't quite put my finger on it. I think I know them, but everything is so hazy and I can't focus on anything._

  _"Clary, please. Please wake up," the voice pleads with desperation. He sounds absolutely terrified (and the smooth voice was definitely male). This time the voice is closer, but it still seems miles away. I try to get myself closer to the voice, but my legs feel like jelly, like I'm in a dream. Something about the voices are familiar and comfortable; secure. They won't leave me like this, in so much agony._

  _When my legs feel strong enough to stand, I start running. Away from something that I can't see. The thing chasing me seems to be getting closer and closer with each step I take, but I try to run that much faster, to get away. I_ have  _to. Whatever it is will consume me until there is nothing left._

  _"I just have to reach the man's voice," I keep telling myself. The voice is safe. I know I can trust whoever the voice belongs to. But why can't I reach it?_

  _Something's missing, and maybe if I can figure it out, I can get out of her._   _Nobody is going to help me, except for me._

_"But I'm so tired," I sigh and sit down right where I am, the danger seeming much farther away now. All of the struggling and running has only exhausted me. "I'll just rest my eyes for a minute," I reason with myself. The darkness envelopes me in its velvety warmth, cradling me to sleep._

  _As my eyes fall shut and my though process slows to a near stop, one last image comes to my mind, barely there, yet so real._

  _A gorgeous golden-haired boy. He is perfect, as if molded by the gods themselves. Tall and lean, but muscular, like a predatory feline. His eyes are golden pools of light, a beacon in the darkness. He smiles and gently whispers for me to wake up._

  _"Clary, wake up sweetheart. You need to open your eyes. You need to fight. Fight for me, your mom, Simon. Just don't give up. Come back Clary..."_

  _Jace._

 

 

 

Chapter 4

 

 "Jace," I gasp, trying to breathe and call for him at the same time. Every ragged breath claws at my throat and every movement of my chest sends a searing pain throughout my body. As if on cue, three sighs instantly emanate from around me: One directly above, holding me; One hovering nearby; and the last a distance away, mumbling into a cell phone.      

 "Clary," Jace sighs, and a drop of moisture falls onto my face _._ I swipe at the drop and let my eyes flutter open in confusion. My eyes dart throughout the room, and I feel so confused and terrified. When I catch a glance of Alec in the corner, and Izzy hovering nearby, I calm down slightly. When my gaze comes to a rest on  _him,_ my beautiful golden-haired angel, I feel instantly safe. His amber eyes were moist and I slowly start to realize that it was not water dripping down on me. It was Jace, and he was tearing up with relief. 

 "Jace?" I croak out quietly, the tears in my own eyes about to spill over.  _I'm strong. I don't need to cry_.But I feel like I'm barely hanging on, like a dam is about to break and I'm about to combust. I know I'm safe, but an irrational fear and insecurity still drills through me. My body is sore and bruised, and everything around me is sort of- okay,  _very_ \- blurry.

 "Jace, what kind of glamour do you guys have on?" I ask, currently distracted from the pain. Three heads snap in my direction.

 "What do you mean?" Alec asks as he strides to us. "We don't have any glamours right now." He seems worried, so I turns my attention back to Jace. 

 "What are you seeing?" Jace asks, studying me carefully, from what I can tell.

 "I don't know," I sigh and wave my arm in their direction, "I can't see much, that's the thing." They seem confused, so I try to explain it better.  

 "All of you are really,  _really_ hazy," I say and try to squint my eyes to change the view. "All I can really see is your hair, Alec. And you too, Izzy, but I can kind of make out your pendant. "And you just look yellow, Jace." 

 "Well, I'm quite offended!" he says mockingly. "I think I'm more of a warm golden honey color, honestly." I laugh a little at his joke, but wince right after.

 "Ah!" Even the smallest of movements hurts like hell. The extreme pain in my limbs is quickly proceeded by a fiery burning throughout my veins, making me bite my lip to keep from crying again. 

 "Shhh," Jace whispers and gently holds me up to his chest. "It's okay. I'm right here. I've got you." He kisses the top of my head and rocks me in comfort as the tears flow finally.

 "Jace, it hurts, and I can't freaking see!" I cry in worry, bunching his soft leather jacket into my face and trying to stifle my whining. But sobs wrack my body, and I feel so dizzy. The pain is mostly centered in my chest, and I let them know that, too.

 Every movement hurts, every breath, every sob, and my heavy, quickened breathing is not helping. Is this what a panic attack is like?

 I try to keep the sobs quiet, but it merely made them come out strangled and broken. Jace moves around a little under me and I hear him whispering to his siblings, trying to figure out what to do with the blubbering mess that is me.  

 "I know, baby. It's going to hurt," Jace explains with reluctance, "You got stung by a Scorpios. Izzy and I are trying our best to take away some of the pain."

 When Jace says this news to me, I sort of realize two things. For one, Izzy was leaned over me and tracing runes onto my skin, but I couldn't hardly feel any of it. The pain from the sting overpowered every other sense.

 And the other realization: I was stung by a  _Scorpios Demon_. Large, yellow eyes, needle teeth, monkey hands....scorpion stinger. Scorpios venom kills.  _And I got stung. But I'm alive._  

 When the whole situation finally sets in, my anxiety reaches a new high and I can't breathe properly. I start hyperventilating, so Jace sits me with my back to his chest and makes me pull my knees up and rest my head to slow my breathing.

 "Breathe, Clary. It's okay, you're okay, I promise. Just try to breathe deeply for me, okay?" he whispers into my hear and rubs his hands down my back and shoulders, trying to ease some tension in my sore muscles. 

 "Jace?" I ask after a few minutes of deep breathing. Sensing the change instantly, Jace comes around in front of me to look me in the eyes. "Jace, how am I even alive?" 

 Everybody stares at me some more. They all looked pretty worried, but I willed myself to remain calm and only look at Jace. 

 "I don't know, Clary," Jace says, looking uncomfortable saying it at all. "Nobody has ever really survived a Scorpios sting." 

 "Nobody that we  _know_ of," Isabelle corrects him with annoyance. She wants to comfort me, I can tell. "Magnus will know. He's been around the longest. We're gonna do the best we can," Izzy gives me a small smile. 

 Jace just continues to hug me and talk into my ear to get my mind off of things. Izzy's optimism should have been comforting, but Jace's silence was so much worse. He would not lie to me, but Jace being so quiet is deeply unnerving. With all these thoughts muddling my mind, I feel a throbbing start behind my eyes.  _I am so tired..._

 I let my eyes fall close and lean my head back, feeling more comfortable than before, despite the headache. Something warm and soft brushes against my lips, and I begrudgingly pry my eyelids open a slit to see Jace's face hovering over me. I try to smile and tilt my chin up, kissing him softly before nuzzling into his neck 

 "I love you so much Clary," Jace sighs into my ear. The only response I can muster at this point is a small smile. As I drift off into a sweet, much needed sleep, a flitting thought tugs at the corner of my mind: something clouded and creepy, but nothing that I could actually grasp onto. Instead, I let myself fall into a deeper sleep, and ignore it all together.

_********* _

_Some chapters are super short so I'm just doubling them up. Let me know what you think! xo_


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